The Mark
by Aduviri - A Writer of Verses
Summary: Hermione Granger never thought her birthmark was anything special until suddenly it was.


**The Mark**

"Not everyone has one" Minerva McGonagall told her in third year, "You Miss Granger are a very lucky witch indeed." It all started after her second divination lesson where Hermione could no longer stand the sight of Sybill Trelawney. It was bad enough they had to climb up so many stairs, then sit in a classroom that looked like a tearoom and listen to a person who was obviously drunk off sherry attempt to teach but Hermione Granger had a breaking point and it had been met that day. That day a teacher had told her, rather rudely in fact, to leave a learning environment. A teacher! I remember being so indignant I was Hermione Granger, I was a good student. That's who I was!

After I had explained the McGonagall how desperately unfair it was that I was made to leave the classroom the deputy headmistress asked me the big question. "Why did she make you leave?"

It was this that I had not understood myself. I spat out a spiel that went something like; "So she was waffling on about broadening our minds and seeing past the mundane whilst we were peering into teacups. Then she grabbed my hand making me spill my tea everywhere. She kept turning it over and over poking at my birthmark telling me I was one of "the ones". Whatever that meant. She then demanded I leave the classroom as I would ruin the other students' chances of learning."

McGonagall had simply nodded and asked me to show her my hand. I did and she gasped too. I knew the Wizarding world was a tad different to home but no one in the _**regular world**_ had ever got so excited about my birthmark. She saw me frowning and then said the words that changed my life. "You're a special girl Hermione, this just means you're a little more different than others".

At that point I wanted to throw a tantrum like a petulant five year old but I somehow resisted and asked for clarification on what she meant. She told me this fanciful tale of intertwined fates and soulmates and ever-lasting love. I thought she'd been into the sherry with Trelawney by this stage. _**Apparently**_ my birthmark was some type of cosmic sign for my soul mate to find me. I nodded politely, thanked for her help and promptly dropped divination. I respected the deputy headmistress so I took her advice, even though I thought she was being ridiculous, and didn't show anyone else my birthmark deliberately. I always kept my hands turned inwards around others in case some other people also believed in whatever old wives tale my birthmark part of.

I was careful throughout my schooling hoping that no one had written home about why the 'Gryffindor Bookworm' had been kicked out of class. Most of my peers assumed I insulted her so I went with that. I thought she was a joke anyway so the lie fit well. 

It wasn't until my sixth year that someone else noticed my mark.

Afterwards I wanted to smash my head against the stone walls that surrounded me. We'd crashed into each other as he was rushing through the corridor of the 7th floor. I assumed he'd been rattling around in the Room of Requirement again, at the time Harry was adamant that he was up to no good in there. We fell to the floor, limbs tangled together with the contents of my bag strewn around us. I'd reached out to push myself off the floor when he grabbed my hand. He started poking the mark as I struggled to pull my hand away. "Stop bloody moving Granger" he growled with venom, renewing his grasp on my hand he then started to rub at it. He kept mumbling "It's not real. It's a fake isn't it? It's a fake. It's a fake." over and over.

Whilst he was distracted by his own strange mumblings I pulled my hand away and started to gather my belongings from the floor. When I looked up to see why he'd gone quiet I found him sitting against the wall almost in tears. He looked up to meet my eyes and spoke softly "It's real isn't it Granger?"

Confused by the whole situation I replied "McGonagall checked and everything. It's real. It's none of your business anyway. Your whole world is crazy about this soul mate business, it's just some old wives tale that only people like Lavender Brown and Parvati would believe in."

"It's real Granger, it's not a tale for old ladies or whatever you called it. The markings are real and should be respected. They're a gift."

It was almost like he was pleading with me. I took pity on him though, "Ok, you believe whatever you want to believe. I'm going to leave now with my strange little _**muggle**_ birthmark that is perfectly _**normal**_ to everyone else but you wizarding people." I started to walk off and for some strange reason I needed to tell him "Please eat some food Malfoy, you're looking rather peckish and after this encounter I think you may be losing the plot completely."

A week later the Malfoy family joined the Order and without a base and money for operations Voldemort was dead by the end of the year.

It was at one of the many parties to celebrate the end of the war that he found me again. Pulling me into a darkened alcove and shoving me against the wall he panted over me.

"Granger where the bloody hell have you been." he started to raise his voice, "I've been looking everywhere for you. We switched sides for your stupid matching birthmark and then you go and run away. Have you any idea what you've put me through?"

My mouth opened and shut but no sound came out. I couldn't even form a proper sentence. Instead I blurted out "You switched sides for my hand?"

Malfoy threw his hands up in the air with a groan. "Merlin Granger! What don't you understand? I saw your birthmark, my family changed sides and the Dark Tosser died." He looked at me with such intensity that for the first time I felt truly stupid. Obviously Malfoy was trying to explain I couldn't grasp and he was still on about my ridiculous birthmark.

I heard ripping and looked back towards Malfoy. Now he'd taken off his shirt, I really needed to get him to St Mungos, he'd totally lost the plot now.

"Look Granger! Look right _**here**_!" he said poking himself in the chest.

I slowly moved closer towards him, maybe if I lulled him into a false sense of security I could stun him and get him some help. As I came face to face with his chest I suddenly understood what he'd been saying. My mark matched his. There on his chest was a matching mark that was identical to my own.

He carefully caught my wrist and placed my palm on his chest. My mark over his mark. A sharp burst of magic stung my hand and I quickly wrenched my wrist from his grasp. Turning over my palm to see if I was hurt I saw that the mark was now a shade of bright silver. I quickly glanced at Malfoy who was attempting to inspect his chest without much success. Unable to help myself I traced his mark with my finger. "Malfoy, they've both turned silver; the marks changed colours when they touched.

"Oh" he softly replied extending his hand and silently asking me to show him my changed palm. I extended my own which he gently grasped then watched as he stroked my palm and the mark over and over.

"It seems like you just want to hold my hand Malfoy. I thought schoolboy flirting was over" I teased trying to defuse the tension that was currently hanging in the air.

He looked up, his eyes meeting mine. "Granger, I'm pretty sure fate wants us to do a hell of a lot more than that." he said finishing with a grin.

Before I could help it my face screwed up when I realised what he was insinuating. "Gross Malfoy", his grin only widened in response.

I have no idea how long we stood there holding hands and grinning like a couple of loons. We jumped away from each other when the sound of a throat clearing broke the silence. 

"Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy is everything ok? Mr Malfoy you seem to have misplaced your shirt." Her eyes roamed over our positions and her eyes suddenly fixed on Malfoy's grasp on my hand. "Oh I see, Miss Granger I told you before, you are a very lucky witch indeed." With a rare smile upon her face she left, her heels clip clopping along the stone floors.

"So um Granger, seeing as we are soul mates or whatever, do you want to get a butterbeer?" came the strange request from an oddly shy Malfoy.

I laughed, I couldn't help it. The whole situation was ridiculous. "Sure Malfoy. Why not? Perhaps fix your shirt first, people might think that something inappropriate was happening between us."

He let out a laugh. "Granger I wouldn't be worried about what people think. Their minds will be blown when you're married to me in a week."

"A week!" I shrieked.

"Well, we can make it sooner if you would like but I thought your parents might want to meet me before we're getting married." At my incredulous look fear flashed across his face. "We are getting married aren't we? The marks say we're soul mates, I'm never going to find anyone that will understand me better than you Granger. You get that right?" He'd started to pant and tear at his hair.

Oh Malfoy was really serious about this mark stuff. I didn't know how to calm him down. I certainly wasn't going to hug him like I would with Harry or Ron. It was Malfoy, I barely even knew him! Instead I settled with an uncertain "Shouldn't you take me on a date first before proposing?"

At my words he suddenly stopped pacing and rushed forward to embrace me. Ok, an affectionate Malfoy, stranger things have happened… right? He pulled back when I failed to hug him back and carefully pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Sure Granger. We can go on a date first. I'm not very good with girls but I'll give it ago." he smiled as he tugged me forward back to the hall where celebrations were still going on late into the night.

"You'll still marry me eventually even if I mess up? Right Granger?" he quickly checked, his face once again screwing up in panic.

"Sure Malfoy, I'll marry you as long as you try and keep your shirt on for the rest of the night" I quipped.

A brilliant smile stretched across his face "Sounds good Granger. The shirt stays on and you're mine. It's a fair deal."

As I let him drag me into the hall I thought to myself, maybe I was a very lucky witch. 


End file.
